The Removal of Antibiotics from Aqueous Solutions by Bentonite Supported-Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron

Abstract

Nowadays, antibiotics are extensively used in human and animal medicine. The unconscious consumption of antibiotics and their mixing with water sources without adequate treatment have caused environmental problems. Several chemical and physical treatment methods applied for the removal of antibiotics from aqueous media offer alternative solutions by improving the treatment process and using new materials. As in many areas, nanomaterials are also used in treatment methods such as sorption, degradation, and oxidation. Among the nanomaterials, nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) is frequently preferred in treatment processes due to its abundance, cheapness, ease of application, and high removal performance. Besides its many advantages, nZVI agglomerates in the aqueous phase and exhibits unstable behaviors. This limits the surface area required for antibiotic removal and reduces the removal efficiency. In recent years nZVI has been used in water treatment technologies by being modified with many support materials such as bentonite to minimize particle agglomeration. Bentonite is clay-based support material that provides high removal efficiency and reduces the cost of treatment due to its abundance in nature. In this study, antibiotic pollution and treatment methods in water resources were reviewed and the antibiotic removal performances of bentonite-supported nVZI were investigated. In the studies, it was concluded that the antibiotic removal efficiency increased with the use of support materials.